Aryna Sabalenka Advances at US Open Despite Cannabis Complaint
Aryna Sabalenka marches on at the US Open – but not without raising a complaint that had little to do with forehands and serves.
The top seed eased into the fourth round in New York with a controlled 6-3, 6-4 win over Uzbekistan’s Kamilla Rakhimova on Louis Armstrong Stadium, never facing a single break point. Her power off the ground and authority on serve left Rakhimova scrambling, the gap in class obvious from the opening games.
Yet the match will be remembered for something beyond the scoreline.
Partway through the contest, Sabalenka halted play and called the chair umpire over, clearly bothered by a strong smell of cannabis drifting through the arena. She made her feelings plain: she had no objection to people relaxing, but she wanted them to stop smoking near the courts because the odor made it harder to concentrate during a high‑stakes match.
It’s a uniquely New York problem. Recreational cannabis is legal in the state, but smoking is banned on the US Open grounds. The tennis complex in Flushing Meadows sits inside Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, and smoke from the park can drift into the stadiums, as Sabalenka discovered.
The interruption did nothing to shake her grip on the match. She stayed locked in, closed out both sets with minimal fuss, and walked off looking every inch a title contender.
Next up for the Belarusian is American Taylor Townsend, who came through a rollercoaster of a match against Diana Shnaider, winning 6-2, 6-7 (3-7), 6-3. Townsend’s all‑court flair and home support will give the night a different edge, but Sabalenka arrives with clean scorelines and a clean sheet on break points conceded.
Alcaraz back in full voice
On the men’s side, the defending champion delivered the kind of performance that sends a message across the draw.
Carlos Alcaraz, returning to New York after more than four months out with a wrist injury, brushed aside China’s Wu Yibing 6-3, 6-4, 6-1. The Spaniard hit his stride early, dictating rallies and tightening his grip with every set. The longer the match went, the more he looked like the player who lifted the trophy here last year.
After the win, Alcaraz said he feels better with each match and is surprised by the speed of his recovery. The numbers back up the feeling: straight sets, scoreboard control, and no sign of hesitation on the injured wrist.
His next test comes against 20th seed Tommy Paul, a step up in resistance and a genuine measure of where his game truly stands.
Medvedev, Tiafoe, and Shelton move with intent
Daniil Medvedev advanced with trademark efficiency. The former champion dismissed Arthur Rinderknech 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, three sets that looked almost cloned on the scoreboard and felt just as controlled on court. Medvedev rarely needed to leave third gear.
Frances Tiafoe, seeded 11th, kept his campaign tidy as well. The American beat Valentin Vacherot 6-4, 6-2, 6-4, mixing power with flair, giving the home crowd enough fireworks without ever flirting with danger.
Ben Shelton took the scenic route. In a bruising four-setter, he outlasted Denis Shapovalov 7-6 (7-3), 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-4. Big serves, heavy forehands, momentum swings – it was the kind of match that tests both lungs and nerve, and Shelton held firm when it mattered.
Mixed fortunes for Ukraine
On the women’s side, Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk produced one of the standout performances of the day. Seeded 11th, she dismantled Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3, 6-2, imposing herself from the baseline and never loosening her grip.
Her reward is a compelling clash with Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova, a meeting that promises clean ball‑striking and little margin for error.
For Elina Svitolina, the story went the other way. After rallying to force a deciding set, she bowed out to Anna Kalinskaya 3-6, 6-2, 3-6. The fight was there, as always, but Kalinskaya found enough depth and accuracy in the key moments to shut the door on a Svitolina comeback.
New York has its own soundtrack at this time of year: the hum of the subway, the buzz of night sessions, the roar for home players, and now, apparently, the occasional unwelcome haze from the park next door. Through it all, the sport’s heavyweights are beginning to separate themselves.
Sabalenka, Alcaraz, Medvedev and the rest have laid down their markers. The question now is who can keep their focus – no matter what drifts in from beyond the baseline.
